Is this a new "Join the Native Americans project!" thread?

Question

Why yes it is... Every couple of years, we clear the decks and start a new thread.  All the rest is the same:

Members of The Native Americans Project identify, add, source and track WikiTree profiles of indigenous people who lived in what is currently the boundaries of the United States. 

We also seek out and track the mythological (disproven/false/fraudulent ancestry) claims about Native Americans that make their way onto WikiTree. This is an important task toward keeping our shared tree accurate and healthy. 

If you are researching Native Americans please join us. We ask that you 

• have been a member of WikiTree for at least 30 days
• have made at least 100 contributions to WikiTree profiles and 
• (if working on profiles of pre-1700 Native Americans) have successfully completed the Pre-1700 Quiz.

• participate on one of the project teams:

  • Categorization
  • Myths & Legends
  • Profile Management & Improvement
  • Resources & Integration
  • Tribes & Nations:
    • Cherokee
    • Shawnee
    • Sioux
    • Navajo
    • Apache

If you're interested, please  post an ANSWER to this discussion thread that includes what area of interest / team you're drawn to AND :

• share a profile you've worked on that demonstrates your understanding of basic WikiTree editing. We would really like to see basic knowledge of Native Americans profile guidelines, research and sourcing (see Project Guidelines) 

Thank you!

Comments

I would be interested in project. Especially Interested in Mitha Straighttail and Richard Parker.  Also the Turtle Clan.  I am also interested in Thomas Graves II some say he had an Indian wife while he was captured and a wife that immigrated from England later.  Some say that his will was contested by his Indian wife.  Too much confusion concerning both Parker and Graves

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Thanks for your interest, Anonymous Sheard. And welcome to WikiTree.  When you've met the criteria list above, please come back and answer this post with the information asked for above.

Answer 1

I don't know much about researching native Americans and I have no experience in that area.  Any guidance?  I would specifically be interested in helping with research on Parker-1618.

An example profile I've contributed to is Parker-1616, his father.

Comments

Nice work on Parker-1616, Tom. (Although most WikiTree profiles start with the Biography and place the DNA and other research notes after Biography and before Sources.)

You've got quite the challenge with Parker-1618... what a story. Are there any other sources, independent of the single 1944 memory, that support Parker's abandonment of his white family and marrying / raising a family with a Native woman, brief return to his white family, then ultimate departure again?

I like how you've started looking into what tribes might have been near St. Louis.

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I haven't pulled together all accounts but none I've read give better details.  There is this additional tidbit on Parker-23564.

Answer 2

Griffin-21296  at the moment I don't have time to join but if anyone could help with my NA Ancestor I would greatly appreciate it!! He is my 4th G Grandfather. I contacted the Catawba Nation with no luck or help at all. I don't have access to any of the rolls to verify the information I do have on him. My DNA does pick up the strand for NA T2b36 as does my Mother's DNA. I would like to be able to find out if he was Catawba verses Cherokee and if he was on any of the rolls. Also can the NA tag be added to him without me having any definitive proof other than what I have listed on his profile? 

Comments

What documents support the story on the profile?  If this family was Cherokee they should be found pretty easily on Cherokee records.

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Kathie, all I have is the information I listed in the profile Information from Jim Farmer "Pioneers Along Southern Trails"

He couldn't be listed in the Cherokee rolls because he was Catawba yet they didn't give me any help when I called the tribal office. 

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The Catawba were almost completely wiped out by the end of the 18th century.  There were only about 100 Catawba surviving in 1850, so it's unlikely there are any records to confirm someone as Catawba prior to that time (other than a few chiefs or other important men).  If this man had Cherokee children, they should be identified on Cherokee rolls.

Answer 3

I have been researching First Nation & Metis ancestries for over 20 years for a living and wrote The Ancestors are Arranging Things...a journey on the Algonkin Trail (Borealis Press-Ottawa)  I would join but not sure I have 100 points etc.  Why only these few tribes have you listed?  Noreen Kruzich

Comments

First Nations is a different project from Native Americans which is limited to the United States.  Here's a link to that project page: First Peoples Canada Project (wikitree.com)

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To answer about the limited number of tribes as teams, these are simply those that have at least one volunteer involved.  We develop teams as people step forward to coordinate them. If there is a tribe you (or anyone else reading) is interested in working on, please let us know.

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The Native Americans Project page has a Teams section which lists several Tribes and Nations that have ongoing subprojects, including those in the initial post above:

• Apache
• Choctaw
• Cherokee
• Crow Team
• Navajo
• Ojibwe (aka Annishinaabe, Chippewa)
• Shawnee
• Sioux
• Wyandot/Wyandotte

Answer 4

My grandmother claimed that her Dad was 1/8th Cherokee.  Her Dad claimed that when the government was paying those of Native American descent compensation back in the 1800's, that every living member of the family had to acknowledge and sign the government documents.  A wealthy Aunt refused, and the compensation was never paid.

I believe I can identify the Native American woman by her Anglicized name, and the area in which she was born.

Comments

In most cases, "signing up" was not an option, census takers came and found you.  When money was involved people were eager to get their share and the people who got missed complained and then got added.  When the Dawes Rolls were created in Indian Territory people who refused to enroll were put in jail until they agreed to enroll or their friends or relatives did it for them.  One person's refusal had no effect on other family members - children were enrolled without their parents, spouses were enrolled separately, etc.  

If you are interested in the Cherokee or are looking for Cherokee ancestors, here are some Wikitree pages you might find helpful: 

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Native_Americans:_Cherokee

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Finding_a_Cherokee_Ancestor

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Cherokee_Sources/Resources

Answer 5

I just got started working on my daughter's native line. She is a tribal member and family line documented. I'm working on Osage Nation line first, she also has Cherokee, Delaware and Quapaw. I'm interested in researching as far back as I can on each Tribe. So I would like to join project and add categories on profiles.

Comments

Linda, thanks for your interest. As the instructions above state, please 

• share a profile you've worked on that demonstrates your understanding of basic WikiTree editing. We would really like to see basic knowledge of Native Americans profile guidelines, research and sourcing (see Project Guidelines) 

Answer 6

Hi, there! I would love to join! I believe I have Cherokee relatives and I am working to discover more about them. I am interested in the Sioux tribes as well but am happy to help wherever I can! Thank you! (Edited to add one of my added profiles: Dutton-4673).

Comments

Hi Kara, I've sent you a private message.

Answer 7

Quick question - Why are Algonquins not on the list of tribes?

Comments

Because we do not currently have any volunteer leading an Algonquin team.  We do have an Algonquin category (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Algonquin) and as I scan it, I see that most of the profiles so categorized fall under First Peoples Canada project (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:First_Peoples_Canada)

Answer 8

I have been researching Native American History for about 20 years. My interest peak with Cherokee and Shawnee. Most of my research is in paper form including the rolls.

Area of  interest - Thompson Fields and Adair

Why does Shawnee peak my interest - my Dad's grandmother's family is from Clay County, Kentucky and she was Native American. Last Names - Smith and Jones.

As for posting, I have one comment that has citations -
Thompson-10687.

Profile Management and Improvement

Comments

W.M.,

I'm sending you a private message.

Answer 9

I'm interested in documenting Native Americans of Western Montana.

Here is a profile I just made: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Polson-804

Comments

Thanks, A. Nice work. (Are you also working on the USBH 1880 census project?) 

I'll add the Native Americans project sticker to you.

You might be interested in helping us flesh out a team page for the Nez Perce Indians who resided in Western Montana. See https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Native_Americans:_Nez_Perce (the team currently has no leader).

Answer 10

Hello, I was curious if we could create a new tribal category?

My husband is Chumash Barbareño, their legal tribe name is Barbareño Band of Chumash Indians. The Santa Yenez are their cousins but they are not affiliated. There is a Ventureño Band as well but I know not the legal name.

Comments

Is this band Federally recognized as a separate entity?

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Looks like they are separate; from Wikipedia: 

"The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash is a federally recognized Chumash tribe. They have the Santa Ynez Reservation located in Santa Barbara County, near Santa Ynez. Chumash people are also enrolled in the Tejon Indian Tribe of California.

In addition to the Santa Ynez Band, the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation and the Barbareño/Ventureño Band of Mission Indians are attempting to gain federal recognition"

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Later on the same wikipedia page, it says:

"One Chumash band, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation is a federally recognized tribe, and other Chumash people are enrolled in the federally recognized Tejon Indian Tribe."

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There are a lot of misnamed categories in the Native American space.  

If we were to create a category for this band, it would be

Category:Chumash, Babareño Band

But I'm concerned about creating a category for one profile. (The other Chumash category has NO profiles in it.)

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Yes, we have been fighting for federal recognition since the same time as the Yeseño originally were (1901). There was major tribal discourse at the time of joining together or not... the Barbareño chose to not. The enrolled numbers have not been sufficient for the federal recognition. A new generation is hoping to succeed. Their legal name is "Barbareño Band of Chumash Indians".

My husband's genealogy has been documented by Dr John Johnson of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural history. As well as multiple family lines. Documentation starts with colonization so it will go no farther. Definitely more than one person.

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Thanks for the information. Go ahead and add Category:Chumash, Babareño Band to your husband's profile. Let me know when you do, and I'll edit the category page so it shows up in the higher level Tribal page.

Note that the category is named as it is for sorting purposes. It is not meant to represent the official name of the tribe. When I edit the category page, I'll be sure to include the official name in the description. 

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Mary Yee

My husband's great grandmother. Yee is her married name her Spanish name is Maria Joaqina Ygnacia. Wikipedia doesn't quite have it right.

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Thank you, I understand about the name thing. They have had several official titles over the years as each generation fight for their rights.

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Jillaine, I placed it in a [[box]], and saved anyway when I got an error message.

Thank you

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Jude, something didn't go right. The category did not get created. Did you copy and paste the exact wording as I wrote it above?  What happens when you click on the category link? Can you copy and paste the URL here please? Thanks.

Answer 11

I would like to join the Native American project. I am Blackfeet and would like to help grow and source those profiles.

Comments

KR, someone helping with Blackfeet profiles would be great.  As the opening post indicates, please also: 

• share a profile you've worked on that demonstrates your understanding of basic WikiTree editing. We would really like to see basic knowledge of Native Americans profile guidelines, research and sourcing (see Project Guidelines) 

Thanks so much!

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Here is a profile I've been working on for my 2x great grandmother, https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Blackfeet-29&errcode=saved.

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K.R., beautiful profile. Thank you. I've given you the Native Americans project badge. Note that if you want to research profiles of Blackfeet who lived north of the current US/Canada border, you should look into the First Peoples Canada project:  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:First_Peoples_Canada

In the meantime, please add your name to this page, including what you're working on:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Native_Americans_Project_-_Member_Contributions

Another member started a team page for researching Blackfeet; feel free to flesh it out if you're interested:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Blackfeet_Tribe

You can see other examples of team pages here:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Native_Americans_Project_Teams

Welcome to WikiTree's Native Americans project

Answer 12

Just created a profile for Ah-Weh-Eyu, Goldie Jimerson Conklin, Seneca.  ID: Seneca-61.  Needs much work but it's there with a sticker and a Project Box from another Project and some source, Research Notes, etc.  Oh, needs categories.  Please, somebody work on it.

Comments

I added quite a few sources, names of all her children.  Her LNAB should be Jimerson, not Seneca, since she actually had a surname all of her life.  Tribe name is only used as LNAB for Native Americans who did not have a surname when they were born.

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OK, I'll make the change in her LNAB and continue with her bio, with her career, linking to profiles of her family members, etc.  I think her children are on the censuses, in the rez.  Are they also categorized as Seneca, indicated as Ind on the 1920 census?  Goldies' husband's parents are in the next house on that census and her husband, Charles, is listed as white, as is his father, but Charles' mother is listed as Ind.  This gets complicated, huh?  I obviously need to read the Project's pages more. So, more work to do on her profile and family tree.  I'll try to get permission from family members to use a photo of her, especially if I can find that photo with her Native name.

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Charles Conklin had a white father and a Seneca mother.  He appears on Seneca rolls, so was definitely Indian.  Regardless of how Charles and Goldie's children were listed on the U.S. Census,  they are listed on the Seneca rolls, so they were (or are if still living) Seneca.  U.S. Federal census records are not a reliable source for determining if someone is Native American.

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Thank you.

Answer 13

I am interested in working with this project. I am working with cemeteries in Northeast Wisconsin, specifically the Union Cemetery in Brothertown, Calumet, Wisconsin and the St. Joseph Cemetery in Keshena, Menominee, Wisconsin, to source the FG profiles. Occasionally I find a "Notable" and need a contact to forward to the project.

 Currently, I have found Michael Chapman (Chapman-28868) who was very active during the Clinton Administration. I do not have any sources other than the find a grave citation.

Is there a place for me in the Native American project? I believe I have found an effective way to create and document cemetery profiles to add to our site.

Bev

Comments

You might be more interested in the Cemeterists project:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Cemeterist#:~:text=The%20Cemeterist%20Project%20serves%20as,support%20their%20final%20resting%20places.